US PS3 Shipments To Be Seized Too?

Last month, Jon brought you news that LG had won a preliminary injunction against Sony due to a patent infringement, and all PS3 shipments to the UK and Europe were being seized. As if hackers and firmware cracks weren't their only problem, Sony are now facing a potential lawsuit where they'd be forced to compensate LG by paying a percentage for each PS3 console ever sold. And now it looks like US shipments might be affected, too, with the International Trade Commission on the verge of intervening.

So far, the International Trade Commission has only agreed to investigate the matter rather than make a definitive verdict. And they're notoriously slow at deciding, with Foss Patents claiming it can take the ITC up to 16 to 18 months to come to a conclusion. While this obviously gives Sony some time to recover, it also means they'll be embroiled in a very serious, very threatening case for a considerable amount of time.

And what might happen if Sony did lose? Well, with an estimated 48.2 million PS3s sold worldwide, Sony would be forced to pay LG a catastrophic amount of money. It would not only seriously impact Sony's bottom line, but undermine all the strides forward their console has made since its difficult introduction. It's a difficult case to judge, and Sony and LG are already embroiled in another case over the latter allegedly using the former's tech in their smart-phones. We'll keep you posted as this develops, but I wouldn't hold your breath. [Gamers Daily News]